A Feeling
by L'Archel-Hotishi
Summary: Jill's new life on the farm is great...except for one tiny detail. She has a horrible crush on her friend Marlin and can't bring herself to say anything. It isn't until a friendly thunderstorm rolls into the valley that she finds herself trapped with the man of her dreams and gets up the nerve to act upon her feelings. Fluff. Marlin x Jill.


Title: A Feeling

Pairing: Marlin x Jill

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the plot affiliated with Harvest Moon. I take credit for nothing except the fanfic itself.

Rating: T

Author's Note: Oh yeah…we're going back now. First I write for Trent x Claire, then Owen x Angela and now these two. God, I love them. I hope you enjoy this fluffy little oneshot! This takes place in Another Wonderful Life. Which is odd…I always thought the character's default name was Pony and that her fan name was Jill. Huh. Oh well.

**-START-**

It was the first day of summer in Forget-Me-Not Valley. It was a time for swimming, cold drinks at the bar and fishing at the nearby stream. The balmy breeze blew gently over the fields and cobblestone streets, making it impossible to not go outside and enjoy the weather. This was especially true for farmers and ranchers, who made their living outdoors. The one in Forget-Me-Not Valley was no exception.

Jill was running a successful farm with a healthy cow, horse and fertile fields of crops that she watered amply and harvested every day. Everything was going amazingly well. She was friends will all the girls in the village and was well-liked by almost all of the adults. In fact, her only real enemy was Daryl because he adamantly refused to stop spying on her precious cow.

Life was fantastic ever since she moved to the countryside. She loved every minute of the hard work and toil.

So, why did she still feel empty?

She found herself making money and chatting with everyone in town, but it still felt as if a piece of her heart was missing.

She knew what it was that made her body ache. Or, more specifically, _who _it was.

Every morning, she found herself taking a bottle of her highest quality milk over to Vesta's farm. She arrived around seven in the morning every day just to see one person walk out the front door of his house and greet her with a surprised and yet always handsome smile.

It was Marlin, Vesta's younger brother and assistant.

Marlin was what made her empty.

Ever since she first laid eyes on him, the young woman had felt a flush of color rise to her cheeks and an amorous twinge between her legs with each meeting. She'd been tortured with dreams of running her hands through his obsidian-colored hair and pressing her lips against his strongly corded neck. The two had shared kind words between each other, but she was still unsure about how much he cared for her. She knew that it couldn't be nearly as much as she adored him, but she could only hope that he at least had a crush on her. Heck, she'd be satisfied if he liked her as a friend!

Anything would be nice, she thought to herself as she made her way down the dirt road and over to the bustling farm. She just wanted him to love her back. That was all.

Then again, love was no small matter, and Jill felt a little selfish for wanting something so badly. Even with that logic at hand, her intentions were never swayed. It was merely evidence of her desire.

She finally arrived at the farm moments later. She was snapped out of her daydream by the sound of Vesta's powerful voice calling to her jovially from the other side of the fence.

"Oh, Jill!" she cried, waving her arm and beckoning the girl to come closer. "Come over here! If you're free, I've got a little job for you."

She tucked the milk into her rucksack and hopped over the wooden fence, sprinting happily to the redhead's side. She trotted over with a peppy grin and asked what Vesta needed. After all, she wasn't busy, and she was always willing to help out her fellow friends.

"You arrived at the perfect time!" she said gaily as she handed Jill a basket. "We just had a lot of crops ripen, so every single one needs to be harvested. I have some paperwork to do inside and Celia is helping me ship products. They need to go out tonight. Could you put our crops in this basket and leave them outside the door when you're done? It would really help us out!"

"Sure, I'd be happy to help," she said with a firm nod. She looked up and saw how dark the sky had suddenly gotten and felt a faint rush of worry consume her. Just as Vesta turned to leave her, Jill whirled around and seized the woman's arm. There was a look of concern on her face and she explained to the woman she might not be able to harvest everything before the rain started. She wasn't worried about the vegetables getting wet, but considering how much work she had to do every day, she couldn't get sick and risk losing days of profit to a nasty cold. To this, Vesta laughed heartily and suggested that she not worry.

"You'll have a little helper!"

"A helper?" Jill asked with a lifted brow. "Wait…who?"

Then she realized there was only one other person who worked on the farm besides Celia and Vesta.

Vesta answered her by gesticulating to the right greenhouse. Out of the tent came a tall, thirty-two year old gentleman with black hair and deep, sky-blue eyes set under a sculpted brow line. His body was slightly stooped when he walked towards them with his hands tucked in his pockets. When he stood before them, however, his posture was erect and masculine. Through his crisp shirt she could see how toned his body was despite his illness. Of course, Jill didn't even have to stare at the man for more than a second to know that Marlin was right beside her. Shivers went up her spine and it was certainly not because of the cold breeze or rumbling clouds above. She blanched for a moment and looked to the ground, her cheeks turning a deep shade of magenta. Marlin noticed and averted his eyes. He wasn't blushing, but he did seem more flustered than usual, and it only took Vesta a few seconds to realize Marlin's sudden tone shift probably wasn't just because of his sickness, as it usually was. The redheaded farmer gave her brother a large wicker basket and left the two alone together. The only noise between them was the distant rumble of thunder.

"C'mon," he urged timidly, walking towards her and taking her shoulder. "Let's get to work."

Jill nodded and tried to act normally. On the inside, she was giggly and excited and, surprisingly, equally fearful. Part of her wished she knew what Marlin was thinking. Maybe that would calm her down.

Unfortunately, she knew that wasn't possible. No matter how many stars she wished upon every night or how many times she's prayed at her bedside, Jill had surrendered to the melancholy idea that he was too good for her and would never love her back. That was the only explanation. She dragged herself over to a row of bright red tomatoes and reached out to pick the supple fruits. One by one, she gently placed them in the basket. Marlin followed and took the row beside her, gently bending down to take the ripened fruit. The two worked in silence until, finally, Jill noticed that Marlin had positioned his basket on the ground and was holding a tissue over his mouth. She became instantly concerned. "M-Marlin…?" she asked silently, becoming even more panicked when she saw the flimsy tissue was spotted with red specs. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said, smiling at her for a second before going back to work. "Don't worry."

His smile had calmed her, but Jill saw through his façade moments later when a raindrop hit his hand look of dread consumed him.

"You're not fine!" Jill insisted again, walking over to him and taking his arm. Suddenly, there was a look of anger in his eyes and he glared at her. He jerked his arm away and stared at her coldly, his gaze unwavering.

It was at that moment that a huge deluge of rain poured from the ashen sky.

"Marlin…?" Jill asked, shaking with fright. Rain had already soaked her clothes and made her chocolate hair cling to her neck and cheeks. She found herself feeling very inferior and vulnerable to his spite. "You look…so angry…"

"I don't need you to treat me like a child, Jill…" he muttered harshly, turning to get back to work.

"I'm not treating you like a child!"

"So coddling me is not treating me like a child?"

"I'm not coddling you either," she asserted firmly, now scared. What had she done to make him angry? "I know you're sick, Marlin. You need to let your body recover. Working in the rain is not good for you!"

"How the hell would you know what's good and not good for me? What makes you think working in this weather is any worse for me than you!"

"I-I can see blood on the tissue."

That stopped him from firing back any response. As if he didn't believe her, he checked the white sheet and found that she was right. With a deep sigh, he crumpled the deflowered tissue up and stuffed it into his pocket grudgingly. Jill felt a rush of hurt when she realized how much that statement had hurt him. He had no idea that he was coughing so much. Jill realized that maybe it would have been a better idea to just let Marlin work while keeping a close eye on him.

Then again, that would have truly been treating him like a child.

"You're not a child, Marlin," Jill said slowly, her purple eyes becoming slightly dewy from sadness. Marlin watched her incredulously and shook his head, laughing a little at her persistence. "That's why I told you."

"You know, you made your point…you don't have to try and make me feel better."

"…You're going to get better."

"You think?" he asked, a flash of hope illuminating his dark gaze. "Well, I hope you're right. I really hope you're right."

"I am! Marlin, you're so strong and kind. You work hard every single day. You're not lazy or selfish. People who work hard towards a goal are always rewarded!"

"That's a rather naïve way to think."

"Maybe for others," Jill admitted shyly, rubbing the back of her neck. "But not with you. I'm certain you'll get well again. You'll work hard and become stronger than you already are! You'll live happily and never have to worry about being sick or ill ever again!"

"Those endings are only fit for princes and princesses in fairy tales," he responded coolly, smiling at her. He got closer and caressed her face gently, removing stray strands of hair from her visage. Marlin always thought she was so pretty, and it was a shame the rain was making her hair hang over her face. He liked looking at her more than he cared to admit, and he didn't like anything to be in his way. "Maybe…if you were a princess and I was your prince, then I'd believe you."

You are, Jill screamed internally. You are my prince!

The two stared at each other for a long time, unconsciously aware of how close their faces were drifting together. Both of them let their eyes flutter shut and floated closer slowly. Just when Jill thought she might go insane, she could feel his lips merely a millimeter apart from her own. His strong hands slid up to her shoulders and held her steady.

A huge bolt of lightning crashed through the air and startled both of them, forcing the couple apart. Jill almost flew back and hit the ground. Thankfully, Marlin reached out and caught her by her slender waist, pulling the girl against his muscled chest. Her chest was pressed against his wet shirt and through the damp material she could feel every ridge of his torso against her breasts. Marlin turned scarlet and pulled her closer as another flash illuminated the sky. "It's not safe to be out here," Marlin said. He grabbed both baskets and put the fruit by the front door. "We managed to harvest a little, but we can't pick any more during this storm. Let's go inside the greenhouse and just wait it out."

Jill agreed. They could probably keep going if it was just lightly drizzling, but the lightning made it dangerous and the rain was falling so thickly that it made it hard to see. Fighting against the strong winds, both of them managed to get inside the sturdy greenhouse. Both were greeted by a rush of warm, humid air. Jill started to wring the water from her shirt as Marlin secured the flaps to the door so that the rain couldn't get it. As he worked to close up the greenhouse, Jill found herself growing pink.

Were they just about to…kiss? He'd been so close that she had lost all control of herself and, before she knew what was happening, she could feel his hands on her shoulders and his rain-slicked skin pressed against hers. It had been so perfect. She found herself cursing internally at the lost opportunity.

Jill didn't have much time to remember the experience before Marlin came to her side again and took a seat beside her legs.

"C'mon, sit down," he urged, a quiet grin on his face. "The storm won't be over soon. Just relax. We'll harvest everything after it's over. I don't want you to get struck by lightning out there."

Jill slowly sank onto the ground and sat beside Marlin anxiously. She noticed him watched her as she tried to wring water from her ponytail. When she turned to smile at him his gaze had fled to the dirt below them. The girl was crushed. At first, she thought that their romantic moment from earlier had been lost on him. While Marlin was intelligent, she knew he could be a bit naïve. Part of her wanted to see if she could remind him of it.

"Marlin, are you sure you're okay?" she asked timidly. "It's just a short walk to the house. You could probably make it back. I could run back to my farm in no time. You don't have to stay with me…"

"Do you not want me to stay with you?" he asked, averting his gaze shyly.

"I…" Jill stammered, swallowing hard. "I do want to stay with you…I'm just worried about…"

He leaned forward and cut off her sentence with a ferocious kiss.

Before she could comprehend his motive, he pulled away and stared at her with beautiful, icy eyes. Jill felt like her whole body had suddenly turned to jelly. "Does _that _give you reason not to worry?"

Jill looked back at him and felt a blush consume her. After a small nod, she was astounded when he pressed his lips against hers and sent them tumbling to the ground in a fit of passion. He rolled over so that she was lying on top of him, his lips still molded hotly against her own.

"I don't want you to get dirty," he gasped out, going back to kissing her. She was barely able to muster a nod before his tongue parted her pink lips and claimed her virginal mouth as his own. She closed her eyes and felt the tremors of lust run up and down her body. His hands ran up and down her back, touching every tiny muscle with tenderness that made her shiver. He gently snapped the strap of her bra and listened to her delicious moan. When her mouth opened even wider, he ran his tongue over her gum and teeth, finally initiating a lazy duel for dominance between them. To his surprise, Jill was better than he expected.

"How in the world do you know how to kiss so well?" he asked as he pulled away to stare at her beautifully flushed face. A bolt of light crashed above them and allowed him to see her beautiful face, fully illuminated before him.

She smiled and nuzzled the velvety area of his neck. She lapped it like a kitten and felt him shiver with ecstasy.

"It's because…" she started, kissing his collar sweetly before he pushed her back and forced his own lips against her neck, tugging on the neckline of her shirt. She moaned and bucked against him. "It's because…I've been dreaming of this kiss since I first met you…I've had so much time…to think about it…"

He gasped against her neck and Jill knew he was blushing. She could feel the warmth from his slightly stubbly cheek against her shoulder. "J-Jill…"

"Marlin…I-I…really like you…"

His icy eyes flickered with a spark of disbelief.

"Even after knowing me for all this time…you like me? Still?"

There were two other bachelors in two, not counting Carter and Griffin. All of them were handsome and well-mannered enough. Surely Jill couldn't have chosen him over all the others? Marlin felt his was too sickly and bland for a vibrant girl like her. He frowned and pulled his lips away from her, staring deeply into her glassy eyes.

"You…really love me?" he asked, his breathing rapid. "Nobody else?"

"Yes," she gasped, writhing beneath him. "Oh, yes…Marlin…I like you. No, I _love_ you."

That was all he needed to hear. Before she knew what was happening, he captured her mouth in a kiss that was so perfect she hadn't even been able to dream of it. It was only when his lips gently traveled down to the swell of her breasts that she knew her dream of being with the man she'd always watched from afar had finally become a beautiful reality.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Oh…that storm was awful, right Vesta?" Celia asked as she stared up at the dark sky from their small shipping room. The red-haired woman was scribbling madly on a piece of paper and, one by one, slapping each individual one onto cardboard boxes overflowing with fresh produce. "Poor Marlin and Jill…I think they're in the greenhouse! What should we do?"

"They'll come out once the storm is over," she said with a smile, cracking her sore back after having done paperwork for more than an hour. Rain made her joints sore. "They're fine. Trust me!"

"How can you be so sure?" she asked. "Marlin so quiet…I hope Jill is keeping his spirits up!"

"I'm sure if they had wanted to come inside, they would have," she said finally starting to see that the deluge of rain was lessening. Celia cocked her head in confusion and Vesta could only laugh.

"Marlin's always had a crush on Jill," Celia said with realization. "So…do you think that, maybe…they finally…"

After huffing at how Vesta was laughing at her after how dense she'd been, she noticed a small sliver of sun peek out from behind the dense curtain of clouds. The brown-haired woman opened the door and raced outside to find the small basket of goods Marlin and Jill had harvested earlier. As she bent over to pick it up, she saw the shadows of two figures emerging from the greenhouse. It was Marlin and Jill. Celia smiled and ran to both of them. It wasn't until she was right in front of them that she noticed they were both holding hands.

Celia's face lit up with delight. So that was what Vesta was talking about. Now she understood.

"I see you're both okay," she said gladly, causing both to blush.

Jill's hair was slightly mussed and crooked. Her clothes were askew and her cheeks were more rose-colored than usual. Marlin's shirt was wrinkled and there appeared to be a small bruise on his mouth. Celia smirked at both of them and decided to play innocent.

Vesta came outside and jovially marched over to the flustered pair who, upon seeing the keen-eyed woman, pulled their hands to their sides and pretended to act normally. However, Vesta was intelligent. "So, Jill…I'm sorry about the storm! I hope it wasn't any trouble to you."

"N-No," she stammered, casting her gaze to a blushing Marlin. He discreetly smiled back at her. "Not at all…"

She clapped her massive hands together and smirked. "Well then, you two should finish the work before sundown!"

Both froze and drooped in disappointment. Marlin rubbed his temple and was about to try and weasel a way out of harvesting when Jill grabbed his shoulder. She winked at him and looked off into the field over Vesta's shoulder.

"Of course! We'll get right…to…huh?" she said, pretending to see something. "Oh my goodness! What's Murray doing here? What's he doing with that box of fruit?"

"_What?"_ Vesta's voice boomed as she turned around. It was only when she was greeted with the sight of an empty field that she noticed Jill pulling Marlin back in the direction of her farm. Celia giggled as Vesta yelled after them, telling them to come back or else there would be consequences of tricking her in such an embarrassing way. They only heard about half of what she had to say before they both arrived at Jill's farm, laughing and falling over each other. They kissed and embraced tightly before going inside with huge smiles on their faces.

All through the rest of the day and into the dark of night, the laughter and smiles continued from inside the house.

The next month, when the two were married happily before the entire town, Jill knew those smiles would continue forever, just like she'd dreamed it.

**-END- **

Okaaay…whew. All done!

I hope you all enjoyed! R&R if you can, and please let me know if you'd like to see more of this couple! I'll see you all later! Bye!


End file.
